You know... I have to hope all these patients of yours are seeing you about their brain damage resulting from traumatic head injuries. It would be too tragic if they really reflected the general American population.
I'm a fraternal twin and I've know this since as long as I can remember. I've also always known that I was born 43 minutes after my sister.
I have two sets of twins in my Kindergarten class. They both know that they are identical sets of twins and which of them was born first and how many minutes apart.
As a twin, you are asked this question ALL the time. That this man doesn't know the answer is very odd.
I have the kind of twin where we have different parents. And we don't look anything alike. And our skin is different colors. And one of us is from another planet. And imaginary.
Wait, that's my teddy bear. Sorry, I get so confused some days.
This has nothing to do with your post, but I am curious. What kind of a dictator are you? I am an MT. I have some docs who are dreams and others who make me want to scream. I have Dr. Snortssnot and then there is Dr. Eatnchew and Dr. Mileaminute and Dr. Ummm. I once had an account where the doctor actually stuttered. I loved him. I always wished I could hug him and tell him it was okay.
I guess with IVF and donor embryos that were split from one fertilized egg, it would be possible to have identical twins with different parents.
But, I'm not sure if you'd be able to consider 2 different eggs from the same parents implanted at the same time in 2 different women as being fraternal twins.
So, I guess you're stuck just asking the patient, "Is your twin as clueless as you are?"
HA! love it! A few years back when my daughters were ages 5 and 7 and attending one of the local elementary school, I had a weird moment that this post reminded me of. My eldest daughter looks just like me and we often refer to her as "my cloning project." My other daughter had blond hair and is a good mix between myself and my husband. They really don't look much alike at all. One time, another mom after school was commenting on how cute both of the girls were. "Are they both yours?" she asked. "yes, they are both mine." "Hmm they don't look much alike." Then she drops the bomb. "Same father?" I was in shock that a stranger would ask me that, and yes, they are both from the same father! I decided to have fun with this lady though, and said, "Well, you know, I am really not sure - I should check into that one." I think she clued in at that point and kind of sheepishly walked off.
Anon 10:42 - My ex and I look astonishing alike. Our hair is one shade off, being auburn, our skin color is very pale & our eyes are rather caramel. The weird thing is that our mothers both look alike. They have hair so brown it looks black and olive toned skin.
When I was pregnant with our first child both mothers insisted she would look like them. We insisted we were having a clone. We were right. When I was pregnant with our second child, they said the same thing. No, we said, we're having another clone. We were right. So right that his mother occasionally could not only not tell Corwyn's pictures from pictures of his father but called him by his father's name!!
My third child has symmetrical cow-licks going one each way on his forehead, and a double whorl on his crown with one whorl going each way. I once convinced a woman he is actually conjoined twins, sharing every organ except the midline of his scalp.
Wow! [blink, blink] Normally it is the one who isn't a twin asking if me [girl] and my brother are identical or fraternal.
ReplyDeleteI suppose, technically, it would be possible to be fraternal twins with different fathers, no?
ReplyDeleteNow I know why you drink Diet Coke, you have to numb the parts of your brain that wants to laugh like crazy at your patients.
ReplyDeleteYou know... I have to hope all these patients of yours are seeing you about their brain damage resulting from traumatic head injuries. It would be too tragic if they really reflected the general American population.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fraternal twin and I've know this since as long as I can remember. I've also always known that I was born 43 minutes after my sister.
ReplyDeleteI have two sets of twins in my Kindergarten class. They both know that they are identical sets of twins and which of them was born first and how many minutes apart.
As a twin, you are asked this question ALL the time. That this man doesn't know the answer is very odd.
Irish twins?
ReplyDeleteUhh, the kind who share a brain? (of which this one obviously got the smaller half!)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be great if you could have their brains scanned BEFORE you accepted them as patients?
ReplyDeleteI have the kind of twin where we have different parents. And we don't look anything alike. And our skin is different colors. And one of us is from another planet. And imaginary.
ReplyDeleteWait, that's my teddy bear. Sorry, I get so confused some days.
Hey, Dr. Grumpy
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with your post, but I am curious. What kind of a dictator are you? I am an MT. I have some docs who are dreams and others who make me want to scream. I have Dr. Snortssnot and then there is Dr. Eatnchew and Dr. Mileaminute and Dr. Ummm. I once had an account where the doctor actually stuttered. I loved him. I always wished I could hug him and tell him it was okay.
So anyway, what kind of a dictator are you??
I guess with IVF and donor embryos that were split from one fertilized egg, it would be possible to have identical twins with different parents.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm not sure if you'd be able to consider 2 different eggs from the same parents implanted at the same time in 2 different women as being fraternal twins.
So, I guess you're stuck just asking the patient, "Is your twin as clueless as you are?"
It is possible for a woman to bear twins to two different fathers. It happens more often with cats and lady dogs, though.
ReplyDeletePriceless. Brilliant. Why are your days so filled with gems? You are a blessed man.
ReplyDeleteWait. When did you switch to veterinary neurology? Oh yeah, the same time cats and dogs learned to talk. Here, have some more Diet Coke.
ReplyDeleteHA! love it! A few years back when my daughters were ages 5 and 7 and attending one of the local elementary school, I had a weird moment that this post reminded me of. My eldest daughter looks just like me and we often refer to her as "my cloning project." My other daughter had blond hair and is a good mix between myself and my husband. They really don't look much alike at all. One time, another mom after school was commenting on how cute both of the girls were. "Are they both yours?" she asked. "yes, they are both mine." "Hmm they don't look much alike." Then she drops the bomb. "Same father?" I was in shock that a stranger would ask me that, and yes, they are both from the same father! I decided to have fun with this lady though, and said, "Well, you know, I am really not sure - I should check into that one." I think she clued in at that point and kind of sheepishly walked off.
ReplyDeleteI just love the answer. Smart ass to the max! :D Tons of lulz there.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:42 - My ex and I look astonishing alike. Our hair is one shade off, being auburn, our skin color is very pale & our eyes are rather caramel. The weird thing is that our mothers both look alike. They have hair so brown it looks black and olive toned skin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was pregnant with our first child both mothers insisted she would look like them. We insisted we were having a clone. We were right. When I was pregnant with our second child, they said the same thing. No, we said, we're having another clone. We were right. So right that his mother occasionally could not only not tell Corwyn's pictures from pictures of his father but called him by his father's name!!
Clones. I have them.
My third child has symmetrical cow-licks going one each way on his forehead, and a double whorl on his crown with one whorl going each way. I once convinced a woman he is actually conjoined twins, sharing every organ except the midline of his scalp.
ReplyDeleteHey, I have twins like that! But we weren't born on the same day, or even in the same year. I call them brothers and sisters.
ReplyDelete